ERIC Number: EJ1391899
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Oct
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0741-9325
EISSN: EISSN-1538-4756
Professional Networks of Special Educators and Speech-Language Pathologists Working with Students Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Biggs, Elizabeth E.; Bumble, Jennifer L.; Hacker, Rebecca E.
Remedial and Special Education, v44 n5 p351-364 Oct 2023
Supporting students with complex communication needs requires collaboration within and beyond the school system. Through a state-wide survey, this quantitative descriptive study used social network analysis to examine the professional networks and collaboration patterns of 325 special education teachers and 189 speech-language pathologists who worked with students with complex communication needs. Findings revealed wide variability in network size and function across these educators. Information is reported about collaborative partners, frequency of communication, perceptions of trust, and exchange of supports across relationships (i.e., informational, tangible, emotional supports). Teachers and speech-language pathologists who worked with students with access to high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) had larger professional networks than those whose students only used unaided AAC (e.g., gestures, signs) or low-tech AAC such as picture symbols. This research provides an important first look at AAC-related professional networks and collaboration patterns within these networks to inform future research and practice.
Descriptors: Special Education Teachers, Speech Language Pathology, Allied Health Personnel, Students with Disabilities, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Networks, Cooperation, Trust (Psychology), Preschool Education, Elementary Secondary Education
SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2993
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education; Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Tennessee
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A